NEW YEARS’S BLACK EYED PEAS W/SAUSAGE

3 - 15 oz. cans black-eyed peas
1 lb. of sausage, sliced
2 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 - 4 oz. can of diced green chilies
1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place black-eyed peas in large stew pan to simmer.  Fry
sausage in oil until well browned.  Drain all but 2
tablespoons of oil from skillet.  Saute onion in remaining
oil.  Add onions with oil and remaining ingredients to peas. 
Simmer for 30 minutes over a low heat.  Serve with corn bread
and tossed salad. 

Sweet Potato Pie With Walnut Crunch Topping

1 9″ unbaked pie crust
2 16 oz. cans sweet potatoes, drained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 T butter or margarine
2 T lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Walnut crunch topping:

2 T butter or margarine
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

In large bowl with potato masher, mix sweet potatoes with the remaining pie ingredients until smooth; spoon mixture into pie crust.

Bake 45 minutes at 400°F or until knife inserted comes out clean. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Prepare walnut topping; In pan over low heat, melt butter. Remove from heat, stir in walnuts and brown sugar.

Preheat broiler; spoon walnut crunch topping evenly over pie. Broil for 2 minutes. Cool on rack.

Madras Salad - Recipe

Inspired by The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two by Anna Thomas (Alfred A. Knopf, 1978).

INGREDIENTS
2 large tomatoes

1 large cucumber

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon green chilis, finely minced

black pepper to taste

1. Chop the tomato into 1/2-inch chunks. Peel and seed the cucumber and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, radishes and cilantro in a bowl.

2. Mix lemon juice, salt, and chilis and pour this dressing over the vegetables. Toss to combine thoroughly, then add black pepper to taste.

3. Chill for about 30 minutes, then toss again and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Famous Recipes

Famous Recipes in the New York Times

The New York Times Food and Dining Section talked about Famous Recipes today in this article about the rise of populism in cooking.

In part the article said this:

Food for the People, Whipped Up by the People

By JULIA MOSKIN

Published: December 27, 2006

IF you wanted to appear in a food magazine or publish a cookbook in 2006, to star in a television cooking show or increase the traffic on your Web site, your best move was clear: don’t be a chef.

Food Network

DOES HER OWN CHOPPING Paula Deen, above, brought Southern home cooking to the Food Network. “The Taste of Home Cookbook” is one of the best-selling cookbooks of the year.

It was the year the people took back the food. Expertise was out: the Food Network edged aside chefs like Mario Batali to make room for home-cooking queens like Paula Deen, Sandra Lee and Rachael Ray. The most popular new food magazines and cookbooks were collections of recipes from real home cooks (or those who pretended to be), often stamped with the irresistible words “home-style,” “country” and “everyday.”  

And one of the Web’s most popular independent food blogs, according to data collected by Alexa, a Web information company, was an undiscriminating one titled World Famous Recipes. Bill Austin of Scottsdale, Ariz., collects recipes and recipe links at famousrecipes.wordpress.com, presenting them unedited and without comment. The site’s motto: “Famous and not so famous recipes — who are you to decide? Who am I to decide?”

Today’s home cooks want to decide for themselves, or learn from others like them.

“When you have the Internet, who needs cookbooks?” said Amy Cisneros, an avid cook from San Antonio. “I look at all the different recipes, and then I make it my way.”

… More at the NY Times site

 

Christmas Spice Cake from Christmas Recipes

Christmas Recipes - Cake Recipes
Christmas Spice Cake Recipe
1 1/3 C. butter

1 3/4 C. sugar

4 eggs

2 t. real vanilla extract

2 1/4 C. flour

1 T. orange zest

2 t. baking soda

1 1/4 t. ground cinnamon

3/4 t. allspice

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 C. grated zucchini

1 1/2 C. grated carrots

1 C. pecans, medium pieces

1 C. English walnuts, medium pieces

1/4 C. golden raisins

1/4 C. Thompson dark raisins

Orange Icing:

2 C. powdered sugar

water, as needed

1 t. orange extract

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Using a nonstick cooking spray, grease one large or two medium loaf pans. Line with wax paper and grease again.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add the vanilla.

Sift the flour, orange zest, baking soda and spices together. Add to the butter mixture.

Add zucchini and carrots. Mix until just combined.

Stir in nuts and raisins.

Pour batter into the pan or pans and bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes before removing from the pan, then cool completely.

Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Mix 1 teaspoon water with orange extract. Add to sugar and mix thoroughly. Add water, if needed, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until icing is of a spreadable consistency.

Spread over top of cooled cake.

Serves 12.

Famous Quotes

GRANNY BREAD

2/3 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. All-Bran
7-8 c. flour

Dissolve 2 packages dry yeast in 3 cups warm water. (Set aside). Mix all ingredients together. Butter a large bowl or crock pot; turn oven light on to warm. Knead dough thoroughly. Put in warm place. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch and knead gently and shape into 3 loaves. Place in bread pans and let rise again until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Butter tops and bake 15 minutes more.

Italian Christmas seafood salad

1 pound calamari (squid), cleaned, cut into 1/4 -inch thick rings
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and split lengthwise
1 pound scungilli (cold water Mediterranean snails, similar to conch -
canned and sliced is preferred)
1 pound bay scallops, small muscle removed
1 cup Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, chopped
1/2 cup garlic, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 pints tear drop tomatoes, halved
1 cup kalamata olives (cut in half)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a straining basket,
cook the calamari until it barely turns white, then remove to a bowl.
Cook the scallops and shrimp in the same fashion. Drain the cooked
seafood well; cover and refrigerate to chill.

When cooled thoroughly, place in a large bowl, and add the drained
scungilli, garlic, celery, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Carefully fold in the tomatoes
and olives, being sure not to crush the tomatoes.

Adjust seasoning once again.

Hold in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes at least 10 servings.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Yields: 4 Servings

1 head garlic, top sliced off
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup milk, warm
½ stick butter, softened
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the cut garlic bulb on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Close the packet and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until softened.

Put the cut potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add salt. Bring to boil, then simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

While the potatoes are still warm, press them through a potatoe ricer or food mill and into a mixing bowl. Whip in the warm milk and softened butter until incorporated and the potatoes are fluffy. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins. Add the garlic pulp to the potatoes. Beat again; season with salt and pepper.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

CHICKEN TORTELLINI STEW

Ingredients
. 2 cups water
. 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
. 1 medium yellow summer squash
. 6 cups torn beet greens, turnip greens, or spinach
. 1 green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
. 1 cup dried cheese-filled tortellini pasta
. 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
. 1 medium carrot, sliced
. 1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
. 1/2 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
. 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
. 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil

Directions
In a Dutch oven bring water and chicken broth to boiling. Meanwhile, halve summer squash lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Add squash, greens, sweet pepper, pasta, onion, carrot, rosemary, seasoning blend, and pepper to Dutch oven.
Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are nearly tender.
Stir in chicken. Cook, covered, about 5 minutes more or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Stir fresh basil into soup. Makes 6 servings (7-1/2 cups).

Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 234, total fat: 6g, saturated fat: 1g, cholesterol: 45mg, sodium: 530mg, carbohydrate: 22g, fiber: 3g, protein: 22g, vitamin A: 114%, vitamin C: 55%, calcium: 14%, iron: 13%